Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers by Matt Kaplan is a compendium of magical anecdotes. (It would have to be with a mouthful of a title like that.) Kaplan organizes everything under different subsections which allows him to cover a lot of ground but as someone who has delved into a lot of this genre much of it was already known to me (or self-explanatory). My favorite thing about this book were the often hilarious footnotes which I think saved the book from becoming too overblown. For instance, while a lot of the book was informative and genuinely interesting it was marred by the author's writing 'voice' which came across as forced. It seemed like he was trying too hard to be 'cool' and 'relevant' and instead it was just grating. By the time the reader reaches the conclusion, you expect there to be some sort of overarching theme or lesson learned but Kaplan seems to almost have tacked it on at the very end in an almost halfhearted fashion. It doesn't so much as conclude as leave the reader feeling somewhat disappointed that it wasn't well-rounded. I don't want this to come out as overwhelmingly negative because if you're someone who hasn't read much on these topics then this would be a great jumping off point but for the more seasoned reader it's less of a revelation and more of a rehashing. If you want a book which is full of facts and historical anecdotes then you could do worse by picking up this book. 6/10

What I'm Currently Reading: Slightly Foxed: Issues 54-57 and rereading (very slowly) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

This engaging scientific inquiry provides a definitive look into the elements of mystical places and magical objects—from the philosopher’s stone, to love potions to the oracles—from ancient history, mythology, and contemporary culture.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't quite it, I guess.  I don't think it's the book's fault though; the writing was engaging and it's just what it says on the label: a look at all the ways our superstitions, myths, heroes and superheroes are so often rooted in science.  

Kaplan did his research (all of which is excellently documented in a Notes section at back) and when he speculates, he says he's speculating.  Some of the information is downright fascinating too (I had no idea ravens and wolves are so linked in nature).  If I was disappointed by anything in the book it's the casual assumption that you have to separate faith from science, but this is such a common misconception anymore I've come to expect it.

So, the book is good; I just didn't get sucked in the way I thought I would when I saw a book about two of my favourite subjects.  Was worth reading though.

I'm going a little off the beaten path and using this book for my Supernatural square in Halloween Book Bingo.